page_title: William Tasker
section_title: Death
hierarchical_section_title: William Tasker / Death
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of the grave of Australian soldier and RU player William Tasker Other information Grave located within the Australian War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
context_page_description: William George "Twit" Tasker was an Australian World War I soldier who had been a national representative rugby union player making six Test appearances for the Wallabies.
context_section_description: On 9 August 1918, Tasker was working with his artillery gun sights at Harbonnieres on the second day of the Battle of Amiens when a shell landed near the gun, mortally wounding him in the groin with shrapnel. He died later that day at the age of 26.
  He is buried at the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery.
  The sporting journal The Referee reported: 
  Soldier-footballer W.G. Tasker has fallen in France. Here was a young representative Australian Rugby Union five-eighth, who played against New Zealand, America and Queensland, and won honors for his school, Newington College. When the bugle-call to arms was sounded in 1914 he put aside the jersey for the khaki, the football for the rifle and the bayonet.
  To Gallipoli he went, and fought grimly by the side of gallant comrades of the football field, some to fall before his eyes: unbeaten Harold George and fearless Fred Thompson. He spoke of the deeds of these true men as a little brother talks of big brothers who do things that thrill.
  Twit Tasker came back [to Sydney] wounded badly, but in time recovered sufficiently to induce the keen-eyed military masters to pass him again for active service. In France another of the 1914 Blues of NSW who had been a hero with him at Gallipoli, Captain C. Wallach, M.C., recently fell, and now Twit Tasker, the youngest of the lot, has gone down with the colors flying.
  His spirit is that which will permeate the men and women destined to make of Australia the salt of the earth in days to come, when few here now will be here to see the greatness come to the land and its people — a greatness born of the turmoil of the war.
  — The Referee, 28 August 1918.
  In the same issue, the sporting journalist, "The Rambler", made these comments:
  Rugby Union footballers continue to, pay the price of war. Cpl. W.G. Tasker, the latest to give his life, did so after accomplishing something that few soldiers have equalled. The brilliant International five-eighth enlisted at the outbreak of the war and was seriously wounded at Gallipoli. Invalided home and discharged, he was restless to return, and after being twice rejected managed to be accepted for the artillery. Even then he had difficultly in getting away, and narrowly missed being returned from Capetown, where he was in hospital for some time. A similar experience befell him in London, but he was determined, and eventually got to France. About six weeks ago news arrived that he had been seriously wounded, but as the message received last Saturday states, he was killed in action, he must have successfully made another attempt to get into the firing line. It is one of the many remarkable instances of pertinacity the war has furnished.
  A very fine footballer, he captained Newington College in 1910-11, the Black and White winning the premiership in the latter year, when he also led the Combined Schools in their successful battle against University. He figured as five-eighth for Newtown in the three following seasons, and was captain in 1914. In each of these years he represented the State, and in 1912 visited America with the Australian Combination. A year later he was one of the team that toured New Zealand. Of those who played in the U.S.A., C.[sic] Jones, Harold George, G. Pugh and now Twit Tasker have given their lives. W.T. Watson, T.J. Richards, A. Walker, J. Clarken, D.B. Carroll, E.J. Fahey, R. Adamson, M. Fraser are on active service. A.R. Dunbar has enlisted, and J. Wylie was rejected — a great record for a team.
  — The Referee, 28 August 1918.
caption: Tasker's grave at Villers-Bretonneux
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